Berlin (AFP) - Some 50 people at a German shelter for asylum seekers engaged in a violent brawl overnight, hurling chairs and beating each other with table legs, leaving six people injured, police said Saturday.

The punch-up, which took place in the northern town of Itzehoe, was the latest illustration of the rising tensions between refugees at the country's overstretched reception centres.

The dispute broke out during the evening meal on Friday when an Arabic-speaking refugee insulted a group of Kurds, a police statement said. The confrontation quickly escalated, drawing in around 50 people who threw tables, chairs and benches and beat each other with table legs.

Security guards tried to break up by fight by using pepper spray and around 50 police and six dogs were called in as backup. Four asylum seekers were treated for head injuries and two security guards sustained light injuries, the statement said.

Two young Kurds -- one Syrian and one Iraqi -- as well as a Syrian were arrested after being singled out as the main instigators, with police saying they would be transferred to "other centres around the country".

Such incidents have multiplied at refugee centres across Germany, which is expecting to receive up to a million asylum requests by the end of the year and is struggling to accommodate everyone.

Imagine what will be happening in Germany when they are released into the wild.

BERLIN (Reuters) - Nearly 10,000 refugees continued to arrive in Germany daily, police said on Saturday, highlighting the scale of the challenge facing the country's stretched border staff ahead of a crunch meeting between Angela Merkel and a Bavarian ally on the crisis.

Chancellor Merkel will discuss refugee policy on Saturday evening with Bavarian premier Horst Seehofer, head of the Christian Social Union (CSU) and who has criticized her asylum policy and handling of the crisis.

The CSU, sister party to Merkel's Christian Democratic Union (CDU), has been outspoken about her "open doors" policy towards refugees, in part because its home state of Bavaria is the entry point for virtually all of the migrants arriving in Germany.

Berlin expects between 800,000 and a million refugees and migrants to arrive in Germany this year, twice as many as in any prior year.

The huge numbers have fueled anti-immigration sentiment, with support for Merkel's conservatives dropping to its lowest level in more than three years. There have also been a spate of right-wing attacks on shelters: police in Dresden reported two more arson attacks on Friday night on a hotel and a container, both of which were planned to house refugees and asylum seekers.

Several hundred right-wing supporters have rallied in Austria against asylum-seekers who have been streaming into the country in search of a better life in Western Europe.

The protest on Saturday was held at the Austrian border area of Spielfeld where thousands of refugees have been crossing in from Slovenia. Demonstrators were marching toward the refugee camp while chanting anti-government slogans and holding banners reading "No Way" or "You will not make Europe your home."

One right-wing leader, Thomas Kirchner, says "we welcome refugees which actually need help but not without control." He insists that "no one knows who comes in ... that's a danger for all of Austria."

A smaller group of leftist supporters have held a rally of their own holding banners reading "Refugees Welcome."

(JPost) Israeli fighter jets penetrated Syrian airspace and attacked numerous Hezbollah targets in the South of Syria, according to Syrian media Saturday.

Estimated targets included a weapons convoy destined for Hezbollah fighters traveling through Syria. According to reports, up to a dozen Israeli war planes conducted the mission close to the Lebenon-Syria border in the Qalamoun Mountains region.

Defense officials declined to comment on the report.

This would be the first attack attributed to Israel since Russia began operating in the area.

Israel has reportedly struck Hezbollah in Syria several times over the past year, although the military regularly declines to comment on foreign media reports.

Earlier this year, the Israel Air Force reportedly struck a vehicle located in a Druse village in southwestern Syria, killing Hezbollah men and a pro-Assad militiaman, as well as a military base in Lebanon.

The Druse village, Hader, is located near the Golan Heights.

The second strike targeted a Lebanese military installation near the Syrian border, wounding six, Arab media reported. It is believed to belong to a pro-Syrian Palestinian faction. In a newsflash, Syrian state television quoted a military source as saying that Israeli planes had struck a base belonging to the Damascus-based Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine-General Command, a faction that backs President Bashar Assad.

The earlier strike on the Syrian Druse village allegedly involved an Israeli drone attack on a car on the outskirts of Hader. That attack killed three members of a militia fighting alongside the Syrian military. The attack was reported by Hezbollah’s Al-Manar TV and other Lebanese media.

The dead were identified as members of the National Defense Forces, a pro-Damascus militia whose members often come from the areas where they fight.

Washington (AFP) - Hacker group Anonymous is planning to reveal the identities of up to 1,000 Ku Klux Klan members, the latest twist in an ongoing cyber-war on the white supremacist group.

In Twitter messages and a YouTube video, the "hacktivist" collective said it had obtained the list of names from the Twitter account of a clan member.

"All will be revealed next month around the one year anniversary of #OpKKK," it tweeted, under the handle @Operation_KKK.

Anonymous took action against the Klan in November last year after members of the group threatened violence against peaceful protesters in Ferguson, Missouri.

The Midwestern town has become a symbol for racial tensions in America since the police shooting of an unarmed 18-year-old black man, Michael Brown, in August 2014.

In a statement earlier this week, Anonymous said it felt justified in "applying transparency" to the KKK.

"You are more than extremists. You are more than a hate group," the statement released online said.

"You operate much more like terrorists and you should be recognized as such. You are terrorists that hide your identities beneath sheets and infiltrate society on every level.

"The privacy of the Ku Klux Klan no longer exists in cyberspace. You've had blood on your hands for nearly 200 years."

The statement said: "We will release, to the global public, the identities of up to 1,000 Klan members, Ghoul Squad affiliates and other close associates of various factions of the Ku Klux Klan across the United States."

The Ghoul Squad is believed to be an auxiliary organization for KKK supporters.

Anonymous claimed to have taken down a KKK-linked Twitter account in November last year, and released the identities of a number of clan members.

A young French immigrant serving in the Border Police was praised by commanders and local leaders on Friday after shooting two Palestinian assailants as they tried to stab her and a second policeman in the West Bank.

The head of Samaria Regional Council, Yossi Dagan, who arrived at the scene and spoke with the corporal, said that the officer had told him: “This is why I came to Israel. To defend the nation.”

The two men attempted to stab Cpl. A and her partner as they inspected vehicles at the Tapuah Junction. According to a police statement, the attackers arrived at the intersection on a motorcycle, dismounted and advanced towards the officers with knives in hand.

Dagan called Cpl. A “a hero” for preventing “a big disaster.”

“I realized that if I hesitated for a second the policeman beside me would no longer be alive,” Cpl. A told the press afterwards. “I didn’t think twice. I cocked my weapon and shot them.”

One of the Palestinians was killed while the other was critically injured, according to police. The Border Policemen were not hurt.

She just needs to improve on her shooting skills so that there will be no wounded terrorists.

BUDAPEST (Reuters) - The mandatory quota system for distributing asylum seekers among EU member states was decided without respect for public opinion and this could cause a "democracy crisis" in Europe, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban said on Friday.

The right-wing conservative Orban has sealed off Hungary's southern borders and cited a threat to European culture and Christian values from an influx of hundreds of thousands of mostly Muslim migrants into the European Union this year.

As Germany prepares to take in most of a million or so migrants by the end this year, Chancellor Angela Merkel's push for a permanent relocation mechanism setting binding national quotas has met fierce resistance, notably from smaller, less affluent eastern states like Hungary in the 28-nation EU.

"Who authorized Europe's leaders, or some of its leaders, to conduct this kind of policy? This is a democratic continent," Orban told Hungarian public radio in an interview.

"When and who voted for admitting millions of people who entered illegally, and distributing them among EU member states? What's happening lacks democratic foundations."

Orban said the proposed quota system was unreasonable, unlawful and unfair. Hungary also refused to receive any migrants expelled from western Europe since those migrants - who come mainly from war- and poverty-stricken parts of the Middle East, Asia and Africa - had first entered the EU via Greece.

"And now ... there is an even bigger threat that the quotas could become a permanent legal measure, with those arriving automatically distributed, and we do not accept that."

Orban, one of the most outspoken opponents of immigration in Europe, said that imposing quotas challenged the very foundations of Europe built on nation states.

When it built fences along its borders with Serbia and Croatia, drawing sharp criticism from western EU countries, Hungary argued it was meeting its obligations to protect the outer frontier of the EU's Schengen zone of passport-free travel. Orban said the EU should stick to its rules as otherwise Europe could slide into "anarchy".

The fence has cut the number of migrants entering Hungary to a trickle, shifting the flow to Croatia and Slovenia as tens of thousands continue to trek towards preferred destinations in wealthy western Europe despite descending winter cold.

The unrelenting influx has become Europe's biggest migration crisis since World War Two.

"When the EU veers off the path of legality then it could sink into anarchy very quickly ... and now we are falling off the cliff," Orban said.

Officials in Berlin say Germany isn’t to blame for the hardships facing asylum-seekers face at the country’s border with Austria.

Hundreds of people have been kept waiting outside in frigid conditions for hours at a time in recent days as German officials tried to process new arrivals one by one.

German government spokeswoman Christiane Wirtz said Friday authorities were working hard to improve conditions but “in the border region where people arrive, there aren’t an unlimited number of field beds.”

Wirtz dismissed the suggestion that refugees are rushing in, fearing that Europe will make it harder for them to enter soon. She told reporters that Chancellor Angela Merkel “hasn’t said we’re closing the borders to Germany, or anything like that.

Thousands of migrants have piled up on the Slovenian side of the border with Austria waiting in cold weather to cross.

The backlog of some 4,000 people fleeing wars and poverty in the Middle East, Asia and Africa was formed in the refugee camp in Sentilj as Austrian authorities struggled to process and register as many as they arrive from the Slovenian side.

Hundreds of asylum seekers on Thursday pushed their way over metal barriers at the Sentilj camp after waiting for hours to cross.

Both Slovenia and Austria have discussed possibility of building fences on their borders to control the massive influx of migrants and refugees.

Nearly 105,000 people have entered Slovenia in less than two weeks since Hungary sealed its border with Croatia.

Refugees from Syria and Iraq are blaming young men from Afghanistan and other countries for increasing tensions at the overcrowded border crossing between Slovenia and Austria.

Hundreds of Syrian and Iraqi men formed a human chain Friday to separate their women, children and the elderly from the mostly single men whom they accuse of pushing the crowds over metal barriers set up by border police.

Ashref Nouriki, an asylum-seekers from Iraq, says "they don't care for the families, they don't care for the kids ... they are just pushing and pushing." He adds the protection line that some refugees created was "all Iraqi and Syrian, hand in hand."

Thousands of asylum-seekers have been crammed into a small space at the Sentilj-Spielfeld crossing, with some pushing forward, jumping over the barriers and trampling others.

Norway says it expects up to 33,000 people will seek refuge in the country next year.

Officials say more than 13,000 asylum seekers have so far traveled to the Scandinavian country, and estimate their numbers could reach up to 25,000 this year.

Finance Minister Siv Jensen said Friday Norway "must have a strict but just asylum policy," adding it was "necessary to review rules and procedures that can reduce costs per asylum-seeker and the flow of new applicants."

France's government says it has shifted nearly 700 migrants this week from the flashpoint slum outside the northern port city of Calais to shelters elsewhere in the country.

About 6,000 migrants are camped out in slum-like conditions in Calais, hoping to take a chance at crossing the Channel Tunnel for a better life in Britain. France's government is eager to show that it has a handle on the situation as winter approaches.

According to the Interior Ministry, 402 migrants were transferred Friday and 293 were moved Tuesday. The statement said a medical team was heading to Calais, and the government was finishing a plan for a cleanup, latrines, and drinking water.

Tensions have risen between Britain and France, which are linked via Calais with both ferry and train service.

Hungary's foreign minister, saying the refugee crisis is the biggest challenge the European Union has ever faced, is accusing critics of his country's closed-borders policy of "hypocrisy."

Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto also argues that people making their way through the western Balkans are economic migrants rather than refugees, because when they reach the safe nation of Greece they don't stay but head north in search of "a better way of life."

Szijjarto said Friday there's "a piece of hypocrisy" in criticism of his country's fencing off its southern borders to keep migrants out, as it is forced to abide by European regulations on border controls.

He spoke after talks in Athens with Greek foreign Minister Nikos Kotzias. Hungary has criticized Greece for letting in hundreds of thousands of people across the sea from Turkey.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Hundreds of immigrant families caught illegally crossing the Mexican border told U.S. immigration agents they made the dangerous journey in part because they believed they would be permitted to stay in the United States and collect public benefits, according to internal intelligence files from the Homeland Security Department.

The new battle group, known as the Swedish Finnish Naval Task Force (SFNTG), is envisioned as a cost-effective way for the two nations to conduct joint crisis response operations in the Arctic and the surrounding regions.

According to Defense News, the SFNTG will be staffed by troops trained to operate within the region's climatic extremes. The task force will "conduct sea surveillance, exercises and include combined units," Defense News reports. "It would share infrastructure and be able to transfer operational control of units between the Swedish and Finnish navies."

Finewire also notes that the SFNTG will be interoperable with NATO units and the militaries of NATO countries — which is notable as both Sweden and Finland have eschewed NATO membership in order to keep their policies of neutrality intact.

Sweden is also in talks with Finland and Denmark to be able to base naval units in the countries' homeports during peacetime.

The formation of the SFNTG comes amid a series of security shifts among the five Nordic countries — Iceland, Denmark, Norway, Sweden, and Finland. In early April, the five countries announced plans to expand their defense ties.

Migrants scuffle as they wait to cross to Austria, in Sentilj, Slovenia, Thursday, Oct. 29, 2015.
Asylum-seekers hoping to reach Western Europe turned to crossing Slovenia after Hungary
closed its border with Croatia with a barbed-wire fence. (AP Photo/Darko Bandic)

A fight has broken out among migrants at the overcrowded Sentilj refugee camp on Slovenia's border with Austria.

The scuffle Thursday reflects fraying tempers among the thousands of refugees queuing for hours in cold weather.

Slovenian police stepped in, pulling out a man who allegedly tried to cut a line of people waiting to cross into Austria. The process has been very slow, with people arriving in large numbers and authorities on both sides only allowing small groups to cross at a time.

Slovenian camp authorities used loudspeakers mounted on armored police vehicles to tell the crowd "Don't push! Wait for instructions from the soldiers!"

A Swedish mayor says a standoff continues with 14 asylum-seekers who are refusing to move into fully equipped chalets in a remote and cold part of Sweden where they have been told to stay while their asylum applications are processed.

Kurt Podgorski says the chalets, made for winter sports tourists, in the middle of woods several kilometers (miles) from the nearest town, "maybe is in stark contrast with what they left."

Podgorski said Thursday temperatures in Lima, a mountainous forest in northern Sweden close to Norway, currently are above freezing.

Some of the Syrian and Iraqi asylum-seekers have since Sunday occupied [how ironic - ed.] the bus that brought them there, saying Lima is not suitable for them because they have a pregnant woman and children.

Podgorski added police might intervene to help the bus company get its vehicle back.

Swedish police say firefighters have extinguished another small fire in a house for unaccompanied refugee children.

Police say an "inflammable liquid was poured in through a window" of the house early Thursday and are calling the blaze arson. No one was injured.

In recent weeks, Sweden has seen a spate of arson attacks on asylum centers or buildings as an influx of refugees has surged. Swedish immigration officials estimate up to 190,000 asylum-seekers will arrive this year.

Sweden's national police said they are coordinating the arson investigations and will use helicopters with infrared cameras in an attempt to find suspects.

In neighboring Norway, immigration authorities were considering whether to follow Sweden's decision and longer publicize the location of refugee facilities.

Slovenian police say more than 100,000 refugees have entered the country in less than two weeks.

Police say more than 5,000 came in Thursday morning, bringing the total number since Oct. 16 to 102,757.

Asylum-seekers hoping to reach Western Europe turned to crossing Slovenia after Hungary closed its border with Croatia with a barbed-wire fence.

Slovenia has warned it could also put up a fence along its border with Croatia. The small nation of 2 million has repeatedly said it cannot not cope with the mass influx.

Hundreds of asylum seekers, some holding children in their arms, have pushed their way over metal barriers at the Sentilj camp on Slovenia's border with Austria after waiting for hours in cold weather to cross.

Up to 1,000 people who had been crammed between the barriers set up by Slovenian and Austrian police pushed forward Thursday, jumping over and trampling on one another.

The unrest calmed down after the police let several hundred people cross toward Austria. Witnesses say they saw some people lying on stretchers.

Earlier Thursday, a fight broke out between migrants at the same camp reflecting fraying tempers among the thousands of refugees lining up.

The process has been very slow, with people arriving in large numbers and authorities on both sides only allowing small groups to cross at a time.

Hungary's foreign minister says the international community must significantly ramp up its fight against the Islamic State group in order to stem the flow of people fleeing conflict in the Middle East and heading to Europe.

Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto says "the less successful we are in combatting terrorism, the more migrants will come to Europe and the bigger challenge we will face."

Szijjarto said Thursday the 28-nation European Union must put together a "European force" to help Greece protect its vast sea borders with Turkey, from which thousands of people cross daily into Europe.

Hungary's foreign minister says the European Union needs to wrest back control of its borders, dismissing as "hypocritical" criticism of his country's construction of a border fence to tame the flow of refugees.

Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto said Thursday after talks with his Cypriot counterpart that Hungary built the fence with Serbia to comply with EU rules on the movement of people and goods. He said this must happen through official border crossings during specific opening hours and the only choice was to build a "physical obstacle."

Szijjarto also said fellow EU foreign ministers couldn't offer an alternative when challenged, adding "this kind of hypocritical behavior should be forgotten in Europe."

Authorities are struggling to cope with a fresh surge of migrants arriving at the border between Germany and Austria.

Officials in the Passau region of southeast Germany say they have too few buses and not enough shelters, forcing many of the new arrivals to wait for hours in frigid temperatures that can reach freezing point overnight.

The dpa news agency reports that some 6,500 migrants arrived at the border on Wednesday and police expect a similar number Thursday.

Escalating violence in Syria is expected to lead over 1 million migrants to head to Europe this winter, Turkey warns pic.twitter.com/1xeg3EV8En

(i24news) According to the Kuwaiti daily Al Qabas, Saudi Prince al-Waleed bin Talal said on Tuesday that he would support Israel in an intifada and that Saudi Arabia must reconsider its regional commitments and devise a new strategy to combat Iran's increasing influence in the Gulf by forging a defense pact with the Jewish state.

"I will side with the Jewish nation and its democratic aspirations in case of outbreak of a Palestinian intifada and I shall exert all my influence to break any ominous Arab initiatives set to condemn Tel Aviv, because I deem the Arab-Israeli entente and future friendship necessary to impede the dangerous Iranian encroachment," Kuwaiti News Agency (KUNA) quoted Prince al-Waleed as saying.

"The whole Middle East dispute is tantamount to matter of life and death for the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia from my vantage point, and I know that Iranians seek to unseat the Saudi regime by playing the Palestinian card. Therefore to foil their plots, Saudi Arabia and Israel must bolster their relations and form a united front to stymie Tehran's ambitious agenda," Al Qabas quoted the Saudi media tycoon as saying during a regional tour to gain support for Saudi-backed rebels in Syria.

(JPost) Israel's top diplomat in Chile is accusing the local Palestinian community of trying to muzzle hasbara efforts by making threats of physical violence against Jews.

Tensions between the Jewish and Arab communities of Chile are on the rise Thursday after the organization representing Palestinian expats officially demanded that the government declare Israel's ambassador to Santiago persona non grata.

The Federacion Palestina de Chile submitted a request to the Chilean Foreign Ministry demanding that Rafi Eldad, Jerusalem's ambassador to Santiago, be officially shunned by the government.

Local Palestinians said that Eldad's accusations of incitement to violence were "slanderous" and that they hindered their ability "to defend the Palestinian people."

Chile is home to the largest community of transplanted Palestinians whose population is estimated at 300,000 people. In recent years, relations between local Palestinians and Jews have become fraught, particularly during times of crisis.

Israeli embassy officials in Santiago said that any pro-Israel event in the country is disrupted by Palestinians. Diplomats said that there has been an increase in the number of anti-Semitic incident as well as an escalation in anti-Israel rhetoric and incitement.

"We completely reject the recent claims made by Ambassador Eldad, who said that our federation has been systematically sowing dissension and inciting to hatred between the Palestinian and Jewish communities," the federation wrote in a letter sent to the Foreign Ministry. "This is a well-known tactic aimed at deflecting any criticism of Israel and its murderous policies."

Israeli officials reject the Palestinian efforts to have Eldad shunned by the government as illegal.

"We are suffering from a great deal of tension here as events in the Middle East intensify," Eldad told The Jerusalem Post's Hebrew-language sister publication Ma'ariv. "The Palestinians are trying to disrupt any event that we put on here. They incite on web sites and social media, and I'm certainly fearful that this tension could escalate to physical violence."

"I see their complaint about me as a badge of honor, and a sign that our hasbara is yielding fruit. We are in a constant struggle for hearts and minds."

(Algemeiner) At least 3,000 Moroccans signed a petition condemning what they said was incitement to murder Jews on full display during a Palestinian solidarity demonstration in Casablanca this week, Egyptian newspaper Youm7reported on Wednesday.

The petition urged Moroccan authorities to hold rally organizers accountable for the mock executions of Jews and other inciting displays, which it called illegal. Also identified by the petition, which was titled “Moroccan Citizens Gathered Against Incitement to Kill Jews in Morocco,” were demonstrators dressed as Palestinians, with assault rifles pointed at others dressed as Orthodox Jews, and children trampling on the Star of David.

Video footage from the demonstration, reported by The Algemeiner, showed children marching and shouting “Death to Israel!” and “We will sacrifice our soul and our blood to you, Al-Aqsa,” in reference to the holy site also known as the Temple Mount.

Signatories expressed concern about the reaction of Morocco’s Jewish community, which today numbers under 3,000, and said the demonstration had offended many Muslims as well. They said antisemitism threatened the pluralism and tolerance enshrined in Moroccan law.

Sunday’s demonstration came in response to the spike in Israeli-Palestinian violence, which many in the Arab world claim is a reaction to Israeli crimes against Palestinians.

Clashes have been sustained since last month between Palestinian demonstrators and Israeli security forces in and around Jerusalem, also amid rumors that Israel was trying to change the status quo on the Temple Mount. Compounding this has been a terrorizing phenomenon of successful and attempted stabbing attacks across Israel, targeting Israeli civilians and security forces.

Some Arab media outlets have begun consistently claiming that Israeli security forces are executing unarmed Palestinians, or planting weapons by their dead bodies to fabricate attacks.

Wednesday, October 28, 2015

Sweden's immigration agency says it will no longer publicize the location of facilities intended to house refugees after more than 20 fires, many considered arsons, have either destroyed or made the buildings temporarily unusable.

In recent weeks, Sweden has seen a spate of arson attacks on asylum centers or buildings to be used as such as an influx of refugees has surged. Immigration officials estimate some 190,000 asylum-seekers will arrive this year, putting Sweden second only to Germany among EU members.

Last week, Migrationsverket called an idea by a Swedish municipality to keep a facility secret unrealistic. The agency's new position came after two more blazes early Wednesday.

Political leaders in the Netherlands are calling for a halt to threats and intimidation amid heated debate on providing shelter for thousands of asylum seekers entering the country.

In an open letter published Wednesday, the leaders of 11 political parties in the Dutch parliament say they understand the strong emotions on both sides of the debate but appeal to concerned citizens "not to confuse threats and insults with arguments. Let everybody speak, even if you totally disagree with them."

In recent weeks, demonstration marches and meetings to discuss emergency housing for asylum seekers in several towns have degenerated into verbal abuse on both sides.

The leaders say that anonymous threats via mail and social media also appear to be increasing, adding that "people, whatever their view, who behave that way limit freedom for all of us."

Even the nation's monarch is concerned. In comments to reporters during a state visit to China, King Willem-Alexander said that, "In the Netherlands we talk things out, we don't fight them out."

With no signs of a slowdown in the flow of migrants from Slovenia, Austrian officials are raising the possibility of building a fence along parts of the countries' common border.

Interior Minister Johanna Mikl-Leitner says a fence might be needed to ensure an "orderly, controlled" entry into Austria. Defense Minister Gerald Klug says containers or railings could be set up to "be able to control the refugees in an orderly way."

They spoke Wednesday to state broadcaster ORF.

The flow of migrants seeking a better life in the European Union over the west Balkans land route has shifted from Hungary to Slovenia since Hungary erected a fence along its border with Serbia last month. Most continue to Germany and other EU countries from Austria.

Slovenia on Tuesday also hinted that it was considering fences, on its border with Croatia.

Austrian President Heinz Fischer has called for better control of borders and distribution of Syrian refugees.

While on a visit to Pristina, Kosovo, Wednesday Fischer said Austria is reaching its limited capacities with an expectation of some 80,000 asylum requests.

So far this year half a million refugees have passed through Austria, most in transit toward Germany, creating a lot of "organizational and logistic problems," he said.

Germany's Interior Minister says many of the Afghans pouring into the country will most likely be sent back to their homeland.

Thomas de Maiziere says Germany and other western nations have poured millions in developmental aid into Afghanistan, as well as sending troops and police to help train security forces there, and that Afghanistan's government agrees with Berlin that citizens should stay and help rebuild the country.

De Maiziere said Wednesday, "the people who come from Afghanistan cannot expect that they will be able to stay."

Germany has implemented a plan to streamline the asylum process for those fleeing civil war, such as Syrians, to settle them more quickly, but also to more rapidly send home those whose case for asylum is weak.

Germany has informed European authorities that it will continue border checks for at least another two weeks amid the continued influx of refugees and other migrants.

Interior Minister Thomas de Maiziere informed the European Commission on Wednesday that Germany planned on continuing checks at the border until Nov. 13. The dpa news agency reported the development after seeing the written notification.

There are normally no border controls between Germany and Austria, through which most of the migrants are coming, but to deal with the influx Germany has temporarily reinstated document checks to register newcomers as they enter.

Slovenia's prime minister says his country is ready to build a fence on its border with Croatia if an EU plan to stem their flow across the Balkans fails.

Miro Cerar, speaking after a meeting of Slovenia's national security council on Wednesday, says "if necessary, we are ready to put up the fence immediately."

A group of German police officers has arrived in Slovenia, joining colleagues from Austria, as the small Alpine nation struggles to manage influx tens of thousands of migrants.

Germany says it sent the five officers to prepare for a wider European deployment.

Slovenia has asked formally for EU assistance in manpower and equipment, complaining that large numbers of migrants streaming into the country have put too much strain on the police. The government also has sent army troops to the border.

Several EU countries have responded positively to Slovenia's request. Eight police from Austria have been deployed since Oct. 13, while Slovenian authorities say officers from Hungary and Slovakia could arrive within days.

Several thousands of Czechs have used a national holiday — Independent Czechoslovak State Day — to rally against asylum seekers.

Wednesday's rallies in major cities across the country were organized by fringe political groupings and parties that exploit anti-migrant and anti-Muslim sentiments.

The biggest demonstration was in Brno, the country's second-largest city, where more than a thousand people turned out. Other protests in Prague, Liberec, Usti nad Labem and Ostrava each mustered a few hundred protesters.

Waleed Ali is also charged with indecent assault and Ishtiaq Khaliq a further two charges of indecent assault.

Masoued Malik has also been charged with conspiracy to indecently assault and conspiracy to falsely imprison.

Mohammed Whied, 31, of Psalters Lane, Sheffield, has been charged with two counts of aidding and abetting rape.

Two defendants previously charged with multiple child sexual offences have also been charged as part of the ongoing investigation.

Arshid Hussain, 40, of High Street, East Cowick, Goole, and Basharat Hussan, 39, have each received a further charge of indecent assault. Basharat remains on remand at HMP Doncaster.

In addition, two men have been reported on summons.

Sageer Hussain, 30, of Cottingham Street, Goole, has been reported on summons for four counts of rape and one count of indecent assault.

Naeem Rafiq, 32, of Clarendon Road, Eastwood, has been reported on summons for conspiracy to indecently assault and conspiracy to falsely imprison.

The offences are alleged to have taken place in Rotherham between January and October 2003.

All nine men will appear before Rotherham Magistrates’ Court on Monday 16 November.

The charges form part of Operation Clover, a partnership investigation by South Yorkshire Police, Rotherham Metropolitan Borough Council and the Crown Prosecution Service.

Temporary Detective Chief Inspector Martin Tate, the senior investigating officer, said: “The latest charges today form part of the second phase of the Operation Clover investigation into child sexual exploitation in Rotherham.

“Operation Clover continues to investigate past child sexual abuse in Rotherham and we work alongside Rotherham Metropolitan Borough Council and the Crown Prosecution Service to support victims and establish criminal prosecutions.

“Due to the complex nature of these investigations and the volume of material, it is important that these decisions are well considered and thorough.

“I want to encourage victims of these offences or anyone who feels vulnerable to contact South Yorkshire Police. We have a dedicated team that will listen and continue to gather evidence. Police officers are dedicated to supporting vulnerable people and we are passionate about increasing confidence in the police.

“It is vitally important to us that victims come forward so that we can explain the support available. More importantly, we will listen to what victims tell us and remain absolutely committed to providing the level of service they deserve.”

Anyone with concerns about child sexual exploitation should contact the police on 101 or the national helpline Say Something on 116 000. Always call 999 in an emergency.

There is a dedicated 24-hour confidential helpline for victims of sexual exploitation in Rotherham, run by the national charity NSPCC. They can be contacted on 0800 7319256 or emailed via rotherhamcsesupport@nspcc.org.uk